Adjustable bed table



H. E. MEUSE@ ADJU STABLE BED TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 25, i946 Attoreys Apn' 39 @Si H. E. HEUSER ADJUSTABLE BED`TABLE Filed May 25, 19

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lie/@27E Hemer nlrr.

lllllll Patented Apr. 3, 1951 STATES PTENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE BED TABLE Helen E. Heuser, Detroit', Mich., assigner of onehalf to Henri E. Heuser, Detroit, Mich.

Application May-25, 1946, Serial No. 672,289

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in articles offurniture and more particularly to a portable table adapted primarily for use in hospitals or by bedridden persons for the purpose of providing a table which ,will bridge the bed and provide a convenient spport for food trays and other articles needed in the care and comfort of the sick as well as to provide a writing table.

An important obj ect of the present invention is to provide a bed table including means for adjusting the 'table longitudinally for conveniently straddling or bridging a bed or for collapsing into a compact form when not in use as a bed table and also embodying a construction whereby the device may be used as a desk or table.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive in appearance, strong and durable in use, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a -perspective view showing the device in use as a bed table.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the table top supported in a slide position for use as a reading table.

Figure 3 is a perspective view.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the longitudinal frame members of the table with the table top removed.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figureis an enlarged sectional view of one of th-"adjustable legs taken on a line 6 5 of Figurej.

Figure 7 is a view in elevation of the upper portion of one of the adjustable legs.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on a line 8--8 of Figure '7, and

Figure 9 is a view in elevation of the lower end of thelegs at one side of the table.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein forthe purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates a pair of U-shaped leg members constructed of lightweight metal tubing and in the upper ends of which leg extensions 6 are received for vertical adiustment and secured in vertically adjusted positions by means of pins 3 Claims. (Cl. 311-27) I inserted transversely through the upper ends of the legs 5 and through vertically spaced openings 8 in the leg extensions 5.

' The upper ends of the extensions 6- are threaded into the lower downturnd ends 9 of longitudinal frame members It which project inwardly at the front and rear of the table. The frames It! are slidably received inthe ends of front and rear tubes Il and I2 which are secured to the underside of a table top designated generally at I3 by means of collars I4 having flanges I5 secured to the underside of the table top.

[The front and rear sleeves I I and I'2 are formed with longitudinally extending slots iii throrgh which set screws Il project for sliding movement in the slots, the set screws being threaded in the frames Ill, said screws functioning as stops to limit the outward adjusting movement of the frames i0 in the sleeves.

The table top I3 includes a lower plate I8 and an upper plate I9, the plate I9 being hingedly connected to the lower plate I8 along one longitudinal edge by a conventional form of hinge structure 20 whereby the upper plate I9 may be swung vertically into an upwardly inclined position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The underside of the plate I9 is formed with a plurality of notches 2I adapted for selectively receiv- Front and rear longitudinal plates 25 and 26l are secured to the front and rear edges respectively of the table top I3 to extend downwardly therefrom to form front and rear skirts for the table top and side plates 2'! are secured to the downturned ends 9 of the frames I0 to likewise form skirts at the side edges of the table top when the legs 5 are moved inwardly as shown by the full lines in Figure 3 of the drawings. When the legs 5 are moved into their inward position the table may thus be used as an article of furniture in a room, such as a writing desk or table and when it is desired to use the table as an over-the-bed table the legs 5 are moved outwardly into a position to straddle or bridge a bed 2B as shown in Figure 1. The side or end plates 21 may then be used as a towel rack for the table.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the app-ended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bed table comprising a substantially flat elongated panel of a length less than the width of a bed, a pair of tubular guides fixed to the panel, a pair of substantially L-shaped' members associated with each of the guides, the longer' legs of said L-shaped members bei-ng slidably received in said guides and supporting laterally projecting fasteners, said guides having longitudinal slots receiving said fasteners, tubular. exten-v sions detachably secured to the shorter legs of 'said L-shaped members and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, alpair of U- shaped supports having terminal sockets sldably receiving the extensions, locking members removably carried by said supports and positionable in selected of the apertures in said extensions for vertical adjustment of the panel, lforward and rear skirt forming members-secured to-and depending from the panel, and` side skirt forming members fixed to the shorter legs of said L-shaped members abutting the ends of said forward and rear skirt formingv memberswhen the L -shaped members are-in contracted position and forming article racks when the L-shaped members are in extended position.

2. A bed table comprising a table top, a pair of guides secured to the undersurface of said table top, a pair of L-shaped members carried by each of said guides, the longer legs of said members being sldably received in said guides and the shorter legs of said members depending from` the guides, a pairof side wallsxed to the shorter 4 legs of said members, and a pair of U-shaped side members adjustably connected to the shorter legs of said L-shaped members.

3. A bed table comprising a table top, a pair of guides secured to the undersurface'of said table top, a pair of L-shaped members carried by each of said guides, the longer legs of said members being sldably received in said guides and the shorter legs of said members depending from the guides, a pair of side wallsV xed to. the shorter legs of said members, a pair ofv U-shaped side members, posts detachably secured to the shorter legs of said L-shaped members, said side members sldably supporting said posts, and means adjustably securing said posts to said side membersfor vertically adjusting the table top.

. y HELEN E. HEUSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filo of. thisA patent:

UNITED' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 116,516 Webb June 27, 1871 913,204 Dickson Feb. 23, 1909 949,119 Gruender Feb. 15, 1910 1,063,642 Birdsall June 3, 1913 1,256,209 I Darlaston Feb. 12, 1918 1,308,034 Bonnield July l, 1919 1,353,660 Main Sept. 2l', 1920 1,553,132 Bertrand Sept. 8, 1925 1,575,897 Cole Mar. 9, 1926 1,732,520 Leatherman Oct. 22', 192,9 1,883,974 Kusterle Oct. 25, 1932 1,916,537 Smith July 4, 1933 2,016,850 Bittermann Oct. 8, 1935 2,106,834 Ewald Feb. 1, 1938 2,115,323 Wuest Apr. 26, 1938 2,212,488 Bell Aug. 20, 1940 2,252,215 Stearns Aug'. 12, 1941 2,260,732 Anderson et al Oct. 28, 1941 

